Game-counter.



D. MCDONALD.

GAME COUNTER.

APPLICATION FILED JULYs, 1910.

999,666. 5 'PatentedAug. 1,1911.

WITNESS INVENTOR M 'f/myr/ 1 7 Attorney CDLUMIIA WRAP" 00., wAllflNo'mN, D. c.

DONALD MCDONALD, OF LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY.

GAME-COUNTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 1, 1911.

Application filed July 8, 1910. Serial No. 571,075.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DONALD MoDoNALo, a citizen of the United States, residing in Louisville, in the county of Jefferson and State of Kentucky, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Game- Counters, of which the following is a specification.

The present invention relates to counting devices for games and the like, and more particularly to a means of that character for accurately tallying the game of bridge whist, and has for its purpose to provide a counting device which will, at any point in the game, correctly indicate to the players their exact standing; and the arrangement of the counting units is such that they may be readily interchanged between the participants with convenience and with no likelihood of confusion.

The further purpose of the invention is to provide a device of the character in question which will employ chips as the counting units, and in so assembling the chips and arranging for their interchange that the chips may be of different colors,.which colors have different valuations whereby a determined number of chips of the least value may be conveniently substituted by a single chip of the next value and so on, thus considerably reducing the necessity of constant handling of the chips as is done under the present manner, wherein this counting method is used.

Summarily stated, the invention comprises two rotatable members each having a plurality of radially disposed arms for carrying the chips, and interposed between the rotatable members are a series of radially disposed but fixed arms, one of which cooperates with the rotatable members to permit of interchanging of the chips therebetween; and the other of said fixed arms provide respectively the means necessary for holding the chips indicating honors and points, of the players respectively. The structure is such that the chips having these latter values, may be readily transferred to the fixed arms from their respective rotatable members, but cannot be again transferred to said rotary members except through being transferred to the other of said rotatable members.

WVith the foregoing objects in view, the in vention is described in full detail in the following specification, and the points of novelty thereof set forth in, the appended claims.

The device is shown in its preferred structure in the accompanying drawings where 1I1Z Figure 1 is a side elevation thereof complete. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view of the same on the line 22 of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a similar view taken on the line 33 and, Fig. i is a detail view of the chip.

Referring to the several figures in further detail and with like characters of reference indicating corresponding parts in the different views shown, 1 is a suitable base preferably of highly polished wood and 2 is a yoke constructed of sheet metal having two upwardly disposed arms 2 which constitute a supporting frame. Disposed to either side of the frame are the rotary or chip carrying members 3 which are mounted upon the yoke frame through the medium of an axle 4;, said axle being in turn supported on the upright members 2, of the frame.

Each of the rotatable members 3 comprises a sleeve 5 mounted to rotate upon the axle at, and on its periphery said sleeve 5 is provided with a plurality of equidistant and longitudinally disposed slots, constructed to receive and have secured therein, radially disposed plates (3, which plates are on their outer edges fitted with rods 7. The rods 7 are secured to the plates 6 through the medium of a groove engagement after the manner of that shown and described of the sleeve 5. The outer ends of the several arms (6 and 7) are inelosed by a circular plate or disk 8, said disk being rigidly secured to said arms and the sleeve 5 and is designed to rotate therewith. Either end of the axle l is fitted with a nut 9 which holds the rotatable members against the arms 2 in such manner as to permit of rotation of the rotary memhers.

The rods 7 and the intermediate adjacent portion of the plates 6 are designed to receive chips 10 for which purpose said chips are provided with slots 11 whose design are complementary to the rods 7 and plates 6. By this arrangement it will be readily seen that each of the arms of the rotary members 3 may carry a plurality of chips, and that the chips of the rotary members may be readily interchanged through the medium of an arrangement to be now described, and which arrangement also affords a means for stacking the chips for honors and points. This means comprises a sleeve 12 mounted upon. the axle l and rigidly secured within the yoke frame through the medium of a vertically disposed and reinforcing member 13 which is preferably secured within and to the yoke frame by welding. The sleeve 12 is provided with longitudinal slots to receive and have secured therein five radially disposed plates 14, which plates at their outer ends are also fitted with bars 15 whereby to receive the chips and for which purpose, the fixed arms 14 and 15), are spaced to aline with the arms of the movable members. To permit of the chips being interchanged between the fixed and rotary arms, the upper edge of the uprights 2 is designed with a plurality of arcuate sections 16, said sections being in register with the peripheral edge of the chips, (see Figs. 2 and Each of the sections 2 is provided with a tongue 17 disposed intermediate of the end pairs of fixed arms and disposed inwardly thereof in such relation that the chips from the corresponding arms of the rotary carriers 3 may be transferred from said rotary arms onto the fixed arms, but said chips are prevented from being exchanged in the reverse direction without having been transferred to the other rotatable carrier. It will be understood that the tongues 17 are disposed on opposite sides of the frame section 13 whereby exchanging of chips may be effected between the end pairs of the fixed arms and only in the manner indicated. The middle arm of the fixed series and the adjacent arcuate grooves 16 thereof are such that the chips may be transferred thereon between the ro tary carriers, and in either direction.

In using the device in a game, each of the players begins with twenty white chips, twenty red chips, ten blue chips and three yellow chips. The white chips are placed on the rods a and c, the rod 0 being free to receive the chips that may be won. The red chips are carried on (Z and f, the rod 6 being free to receive the winners. The blue chips are carried on the rod 9, the rod 72, being empty, and the yellow chips and a marker to indicate a game are carried on the rod 2'. The marker may be of any distinct color or design. Rods in and m of the stationary arms are designed to carry the chips which indicate honors, rods and n of the same series carry the chips indicating a game or points, and the intermediate rod Z is used for making change from one player to the other as heretofore pointed out.

In practice the white chips are worth 2 each, the red chips 10, the blue chips 100, and the yellow chips 1000. It will be seen that as soon as one player has lost all or nearly all of his white chips, he can exchange two red chips for ten white chips,

each rod holding exactly ten chips, so that the counting is facilitated.

The device is intended to be used by two persons, althoughof course four players may record their plays by playing as partners. In this latter event the score is kept by one tallying for each side. At the beginning of the game the chips of the different denominations are divided evenly between the players, and all of the chips on either side are arranged on the rotatable carrier in the manner ust described. At the end of the game the difference between the number of chips on both sides, considering also their valuation, will determine the score.

It is not necessary to keep honors separate from points after a rubber is finished, as points won in the shape of honors are exactly equal in value to points won as such. Points are only valuable apart from honors in deciding who won the game, and this is decided as soon as either player has thirty points. Two games make a rubber, which is worth 100 points. as soon, therefore, as a game is decided, points above thirty have the same value as if they were honors, and as soon as a rubber is decided points and honors are merged together, and have the same value, no matter from which source they come.

The proportions and design of the device are such as will give it an attractive ap pearance, and its simplicity of operation is so marked that the same will readily suggest itself as an appropriate device to card players generally.

lVhat is claimed is 1. A counting device for games and the like comprising independently rotatable members carrying a plurality of chips representing units, and a means disposed intermediate the rotatable members for interchanging the chips therebetween.

2. A counting device for games and the like comprising independently rotatable members having each a plurality of arms carrying chips representing units, and a plurality of fixed arms intermediate the rotatable arms and constructed to aline therewith, said fixed arms permitting of interchanging of the chips between the rotatable arms.

8. A counting device for games and the like comprising independently rotatable members having each a plurality of radially disposed arms carrying chips representing units, a. plurality of fixed arms disposed intermediate the rotatable arms and constructed to aline therewith and permit of interchanging of the chips therebetween, and means associated with certain of the fixed and movable arms permitting of interchange in one direction only.

4. A counting device for games and the like comprising a pair of rotatable members having each a plurality of radially disposed arms carrying chips representing units, and a plurality of fixed arms disposed intermediate the rotatable arms and constructed to aline therewith, one of said fixed arms permitting of interchange of the chips between the rotatable arms, and the other of the fixed arms providing means for holding the counted chips assembled.

5. A counting device for games and the like comprising a pair of rotatable members having each a plurality of radially disposed arms carrying slotted chips, a plurality of radially disposed and fixed arms intermediate the rotatable arms and alining therewith, one of said fixed arms permitting of interchanging of the chips between the rotatable arms, the other of the arms arranged in pairs adapted to receive the counted chips from the rotatable arms, and means associated with each of said pairs of arms permitting of exchange of the chips between the movable and fixedarms respectively and in one direction only.

6. A counting device for games and the like comprising a support having a yoke frame, a shaft supported by the yoke frame, rotatable carriers mounted on the shaft to either side of the yoke frame, each of said rotatable carriers comprising a sleeve mounted on the shaft, a plurality of radially disposed plates mounted on the sleeve and bars for holding chips secured to said radial plates, a sleeve secured to the shaft within the yoke frame, radially disposed plates secured to said sleeve, and bars se' cured to said radial plates; said fixed plates and bars providing a means to permit of interchanging of the chips between the rotatable arms and for assembling the counted chips.

7. A counting device for games and the like comprising a base, a yoke frame mounted thereon, a shaft supported by the yoke frame, rotatable carriers mounted on the shaft to either side of the yoke frame, said rotatable carriers comprising each a sleeve, radially disposed plates secured to said sleeve, bars secured to said plates, and providing arms therewith adapted to carry slotted chips; a sleeve fixed to the shaft within the yoke frame, radially disposed arms secured to said sleeve, and bars secured to said plates and providing arms therewith adapted to receive slotted chips, one of said fixed arms permitting of interchanging of chips between the rotatable arms, and the other of said fixed arms pro viding means for holding assembled the counted chips, and tongues formed within the yoke frame permitting of transferring of the chips between the fixed arms and their respective movable arms and in one direction only.

The foregoing specification signed at Louisville, Kentucky this 15th day of June, 1910.

DONALD MoDONALD.

In presence of two witnesses:

THOS. W. KENNEDY, WM. H. CRUTCHER.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G. 

